Feb. 25, 2009
Final Stats
Game Stats in PDF Format 
NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Brandon Bush scored 23 points, but Texas State couldn't overcome a 32-4 run by Stephen F. Austin midway in the first half as the Lumberjacks handed the Bobcats a 68-52 loss at Johnson Coliseum Wednesday night.
The Bobcats began the game hitting five of their first six shots and held a 12-7 lead after John Rybak made a three-point basket from the top of the key with 16 minutes left in the first half.
Rybak also scored the first points of the game when Ty Gough hit him for a 15-foot jumper on the right baseline.
Bush scored on a pair of jump shots in the paint. Then, Corey Jefferson hit a three-point shot on the right wing before Rybak nailed his three-pointer on the left wing.
But, the Stephen F. Austin answered with a 21-0 run as Josh Alexander canned a three-point field goal from the left baseline to give the Lumberjacks a 28-12 lead with 9:36 remaining in the half.
The Bobcats went 0-9 from the field, missed two free throws and had four turnovers during SFA's run.
"We tried everything we had during that stretch," Texas State head coach Doug Davalos. "Before I told (the team) that we would have to play well in order to beat them here because they haven't lost a home game this year. It certainly isn't easy to win when you dig yourself into a 20-point hole."
After John Bowman hit his second shot in the lane to pull the Bobcats to within 30-16, the Lumberjacks used a 10-0 run to widen their lead to 40-18 before Bush closed out the scoring in the first half with a three-point play. First, he drove the length of the court for a fast-break lay-up. SFA's Nick Shaw fouled him on the shot and he made the free throw following an official timeout. The three-point play pulled Texas State to within 40-21 at the half.
Bush led the Bobcats in scoring during the first half with nine points, while Rybak scored five points and Bowman added four.
In the second half, Jonathan Sloan made a pair of hook shots in the lane and the Bobcats looked like they might make a run to get back into the game as they closed to within 42-25. But, SFA came right back to score five straight points on a three-point basket by Girod Adams and a lay-up by Matt Kingsley.
Bush answered with another lay-up, the Lumberjacks scored the next six points to open up a 53-27 lead with 13:03 left to play.
Texas State didn't get any closer than 22 points until the 1:34 mark when Bush made a lay-up and four straight free throws to pull the Bobcats to within 64-45.
After Zach Williams scored on a fast-break dunk shot for SFA, Bush and Roshun Jackson each made a lay-up and Dylan Moseley nailed a three-pointer from the right baseline to make the final score 68-52.
Bush finished the game as the only Bobcat to score in double figures with his 23 points, while Rybak and Bowman ended up with eight points each.
Meanwhile SFA's starting front line combined for 49 points. Matt Kingsley led the way with 23 points, while Josh Alexander added 15 points and Nick Shaw finished with 11.
"We didn't have any answers for Kingsley tonight," Texas State head coach Doug Davalos said. "We couldn't get any stops once they got going."
The loss drops the Bobcats into a tie for eighth place with McNeese State in the Southland Conference standings with a 5-8 record. Texas State also fell to 12-14 overall this season.
Stephen F. Austin remains in a three-way tie for first place in the league standings with an 11-3 SLC mark and the Lumberjacks are 18-7 overall.
Texas State returns Strahan Coliseum this Saturday afternoon to play the first of the final two home games this season against Northwestern State at 4:00 p.m. The Bobcats play host to I-35 rival UTSA next Wednesday night, Mar. 4 before closing out the regular season at Sam Houston State on Mar. 7. Both the UTSA and Sam Houston State games tip off at 7:00 p.m.
